I had that exact pair for six months...I found the B&Ws to be way too bright, beamy and fatiguing. I traded the 802 D3s in on YG Hailey 2.2s and couldn't be happier. My Mac gear is next on the upgrade list.
I dont get the hate for McIntosh. I heard the 800's with a pair of 601 monos and the two chassis preamp in a room that was more like a studio, in that the floors and walls were taken into consideration and it was pretty awesome ....
Any way you can demo that amp in your system? That would be ideal when you are talking this much $$$$
Yeah, I don’t understand the hate on Mac’s either. I heard the 611’s and they sounded. wonderful. Classe m600’s are also great with B&W’s. They are out of production now but you can find them used for really good prices.
Audioholics really liked that amp... silly amount of power. I think some people remember the Clarion years for lack of a better word, and yes some of the products from that period were just ok. Were they junk ? No way , they were still a lot better than what was available mainstream. Certainly not like c-j or Quicksliver or many others. But not junk. I had a C15 and 7100 and they were pretty good for what I paid for them....used them about 5 years and profited $1000 on the pair.....
Todays McIntosh amps and preamps are much , much better.
To all the McIntosh haters, the factory has broken ground on a huge expansion at their Binghampton factory. From what I hear, their business has more than doubled in the past year. Their 462 is their newest amp in that series. It's the last amp you will ever need. I am not a B & W fan but the amp sounds great on Focal and Legacy speakers.
I had the 802 d3 with the 452. It was a good pair, but I always found the bass lacking with the 802s. Went to the Wilson Alexia 2 and it was like someone added a sub to my system. Night and day difference in the low end. Granted I also switched to a Boulder 1160 amp which I’m sure helped, but still. The match was fine with the mc and 802d3, but there are definitely better amps (and definitely way better preamps) out there at the same price.
I tried both and heard very little difference but settled on the 4ohm one. For my space, though, the non-ported 802 d3 just didn’t pack a low end punch. I tried integrating a sub but didn’t like that either. I actually use the 805d3 for my home theater (paired with a Theta amp) and an SVS-SB16 which wound great. The SB16 really fills the space.
I also had some issues with lack of low end from the 802s...added a REL #25 and it greatly improved all frequencies and helped bring a "fuller" and less bright sound to the B&Ws.
I will also add I have B&W 802d3’s with dual Jl Audio F 113 subs. To me, with the subs, the music is balanced, full, clear, and lively. I really feel like I am sitting in front of the artist.
Why does it matter if he is considering McIntosh even though many do not like it? He is buying for himself, not for you or any others. What is so hard to understand? I have Mac and care less what others think about it.
stereo5, I also have Mac and don't care what others think about it. I was being a little cheeky to emergingsoul because he started that thread about "Why do people hate McIntosh", and I found that annoying, because it's been covered so many times, and it always invites the same stupid uninformed comments each time, so it seemed like trolling to me. I had no idea that he was actually considering the purchase of a Mac.
I have no distaste for Mac...just wanted to share my experience with that combo. In my opinion, a musical sub or two will help bring out the best of all frequencies with the B&Ws.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
